AFVOA Newsletter of Year 2021

Section 7 – Panorama CV 2 No. 01 / 2021 Page 103 of 123 It was late afternoon in mid-July around 5:00 p.m. when the telephone at my residence rang. On the other end was a senior officer informing me that an inebriated airman had run amok and was firing his personal rifle in the air at the Academy’s shopping complex. The officer had witnessed the panic. Rather than deal with the situation immediately, he informed me. Being a security officer,I had no choice but to deal with it myself. The shopping complex was a kilometer from my residence and I quickly drove in the Air Force jeep towards the scene. Reminiscent of the Sholay scene, Sergeant M.K. Singh, an alcoholicwas firing in the air. The normally busy shopping complex hadturned chaotic with petrified people running helter skelter. A fortnight ago, I had arrested Sergeant M.K. Singh for drinkingand creating nuisance in public. Fortunately for me he did not have a rifle in his hand then. Though I was known as a no- nonsense officer, still there was a concern that Sergeant M.K. Singh, under the influence of liquor, may harm me. While I debated about how to deal with the situation since people under influence of liquor are not predictable, I was mortally scared. I parked my jeep a little distance from the shopping center to gauge the situation. From a distance I could see Sergeant M.K. Singh waving the gun and tottering as a drunk does. I got down from the vehicle and started moving towards him. I have never felt fear the way I felt then, but duty, responsibility,recklessness of age and having no choice pushed me on. From the corner of my eye, I saw the PSI bus enter the shoppingcomplex. That was its last stop. It was comforting to see Kulwant get down. In an instant Kulwant read the situation and realized the risk I wasexposed to. He would have seen me moving towards M.K. Singh.He darted towards the drunken airman, coming between us. I don’t know whether better sense prevailed or the memory of the prison cell rose, but M.K. Singh didn’t do the worst that we expected. Words were exchanged between him and Kulwant. And in truly Bollywood style, the Sergeant came and laid the rifle at my feet. I was hailed as an instant hero on the Academy campus, butI knew and valued the selfless courage of Sergeant Kulwant who had shielded me like a guardian angel and saved me from possible death. I believe there are three kinds of bravery. One, where the person isnot afraid – I feel these are rare – Second is when duty prevails and one sets aside the fear to do their duty. The third is where no dutyexists to compel the person, yet he acts with bravery. I consider this the ultimate in bravery. That day, I saw this in Kulwant. *******